CC Antya 20.82

Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Antya-līlā, Chapter 20: The Śikṣāṣṭaka Prayers

CC Antya 20.81

CC Antya 20.83

His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

TEXT 82

nityānanda-kṛpā-pātra—vṛndāvana-dāsa
caitanya-līlāya teṅho hayena ‘ādi-vyāsa’

SYNONYMS

nityānanda—of Lord Nityānanda Prabhu; kṛpā-pātra—the favorite devotee; vṛndāvana-dāsa—Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura; caitanya-līlāya—in the pastimes of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu; teṅho—He; hayena—is; ādi-vyāsa—the original Vyāsadeva.

TRANSLATION

Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura is Lord Nityānanda’s favorite devotee, and therefore he is the original Vyāsadeva in describing the pastimes of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

PURPORT

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura says that all writers after Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura who are pure devotees of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and who have tried to describe the Lord’s activities are to be considered like Vyāsa. Śrīla Vṛndāvana dāsa Ṭhākura is the original Vyāsadeva in describing caitanya-līlā, and all others who follow in his footsteps by describing Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s pastimes are also to be called Vyāsadeva. The bona fide spiritual master is called Vyāsa because he is a representative of Vyāsa. Worshiping the birthday of such a spiritual master is called Vyāsa-pūjā.